Slept 7h 10m, HRV 42 against your 40, yesterday 14 km on about 30 g of carbohydrate since dinner.
Yesterday’s run came the morning after a low-carb dinner, so it was a train-low session, planned or not. Legs went heavy at km 9 and heart rate stayed normal: that was fuel, not fitness. Thursday’s intervals are the session that needs everything.
Per John, adaptation comes from placing some sessions with low carbohydrate availability, and never the sessions where performance matters. His rule: train low on easy days, compete high on hard ones.
Before breakfast, conversational pace. Low glycogen on purpose: this is the session that drives adaptation.
With John Hawley · carbohydrate periodizationYou ran 14 km on about 30 g of carbohydrate since the evening before, so muscle glycogen was low from the first step. Heart rate and pace were normal for the first 8 km, then the effort climbed while the pace did not. That pattern is fuel running out, not fitness.
John Hawley, Exercise Metabolism ResearcherHeavy legs on a low-carbohydrate run are the training signal, not a failure. The session drives adaptation precisely because glycogen is low. What matters is that the sessions where performance counts never start that way.
Thursday’s intervals are a performance session. Fuel them fully the night before and in the morning, and judge your fitness on that one, not on yesterday.
What to do today
Keep today easy and keep it low. Bring carbohydrate back at lunch, then a full-carb dinner tomorrow night so Thursday’s intervals start with glycogen high. The hard session is never the low one.
With John Hawley · train low, compete high
I had this for breakfast plus a large strong coffeeAvocado toast with 2 eggs + strong coffee logged
A good breakfast for a low day: protein and fat that carry you to lunch, about 480 kcal and 30 g of carbohydrate. It does not refill glycogen early, which is the point this morning.
Lunch is where carbohydrate comes back today. Aim for about 80 g, so recovery from this morning and Thursday’s intervals both start where they should.
John Hawley, Exercise Metabolism ResearcherLow carbohydrate availability works for the session, not for the whole day. Once the easy run is done, restoring glycogen protects immune function and the next quality session.
Noted. I’ll shape lunch around 80 g of carbohydrate and remind you at 12:15.
Plan for Today
Before breakfast, conversational pace. Low glycogen on purpose: this is the session that drives adaptation.
With John Hawley · train lowWith John Hawley · train lowEggs, yoghurt, fruit. About 30 g of carbohydrate holds you to lunch without refilling glycogen early.
Rice or potatoes, about 80 g. Restoring glycogen after the session protects recovery and Thursday’s quality.
With John Hawley · restore after, not beforeWith John Hawley · restore after, not beforePasta, about 120 g of carbohydrate. Thursday’s intervals start with glycogen high, so tonight is a fuel night.
With John Hawley · compete highWith John Hawley · compete highFifteen minutes easy after dinner: movement without touching recovery. HRV 42 says absorb today.
A 12 hour eating window, 7:30 to 7:30. It ends before bed, so the overnight fast and the morning run line up.
With John Hawley · time restricted eatingWith John Hawley · time restricted eatingSame lights-out every night this week. Sleep is where the adaptation from this morning’s low session is built.
With John Hawley · recoveryWith John Hawley · recovery